14 Bird Scene - October and November 2013

ISSUE FOURTEEN: OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2013
BIRDSCENE
THE MAGAZINE FOR HOBBYIST BREEDERS AND CONSERVATIONISTS
MICE, ROOFS AND BIRD
ROOM CONSTRUCTION
ONCE THEY’RE
GONE WE’VE LOST
THEM FOREVER
BREEDING THE
PAGODA MYNAH OR
STARLING
A valuable contribution
from Adam Mogg on the
birds he has kept
THE NATIONAL
EXHIBITION
RESULTS
FREE
ISSUE 15 OUT
19TH DECEMBER
2013

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PARROT SOCIETY MAGAZINE: 33

ISSUE FOURTEEN: OCTObER / NOvEmbER 2013
THE MAGAZINE FOR HOBBYIST BREEDERS AND CONSERVATIONISTS
A valuable contribution
from Adam Mogg on the
birds he has kept
MICE, ROOFS AND BIRD
ROOM CONSTRuCTION
BREEDING THE
PAGODA MYNAH OR
STARlING
CONTENTS
BIRD SCENE: OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2013
CONTENTS
DONATE TO OUR
CONSERVATION
FUND…
06
32
CLICK THE LINK BELOW:
www.theparrotsocietyuk.org/donations.php
06
BREEDING THE
PAGODA MYNAH
Ray Holland gives us his
experiences with two
pairs and looks forward to
2014
12
12
THE NATIONAL
EXHIBITION
RESULTS…
with some excellent
pictures of winners
24
24
32
MICE, ROOFS &
BIRDROOM
CONSTRUCTION
Rosemary Low’s article is
very timely as now is the
time to look out for these
unwelcome ‘guests’
ONCE THEY’RE GONE
A valuable contribution
from Adam Mogg on the
birds he has kept
32
12
ON THE COVER
BIRDSCENE
ONCE THEY’RE
GONE WE’VE lOST
THEM FOREVER
THE NATIONAl
EXHIBITION
RESulTS
FREE
ISSuE 15 OuT
19TH DECEMBER
2013
24
06
BIRD SCENE: Issue Fourteen: October / November 2013
BIRD SCENE is run by The Parrot Society UK, 92A High Street, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, HP4 2BL,
England. FOR SALES AND EDITORIAL ENQUIRES Telephone or Fax: 01442 872245
Website: www.theparrotsocietyuk.org E-Mail: les.rance@theparrotsocietyuk.org
BIRD SCENE 3

INTRODUCT
Les Rance, Editor, The Parrot Society UK | www.theparrotsocietyuk.org | les.rance@
Well here we are the fourteenth
edition of Bird Scene. What a
cracking National Exhibition we have
just experienced the P.S. Council were
delighted by the vast numbers of
visitors to the event and very heartened
by the favourable comments from our
trade supporters many along the lines of
‘the best sale day ever’ Neil Randle our
resident photographer was busy all day
and managed to take 800 pictures, he
was working very hard but this will give
us plenty of material for future
publications. The clubs associated with
the National Exhibition were full of
praise for the way the exhibition is
developing and with over 4,000 exhibits
they have every reason to be happy it
might sound very confident but a 25%
increase in birds staged next year would
take us to the magical 5,000 birds a
number not seen at any UK show since
2003 when the last Birmingham NEC
National was held. I am sure it can be
done and it would be great to achieve
this figure in 2014.
The autumn months are always so
busy for the Parrot Society office as no
sooner have we finished The National
Exhibition than we start to build up for
our ‘Help Bird Keepers’ Show also at
Stafford on Sunday 1st December
tickets and tables can be booked from
the PSUK Shop on our website. We are
really becoming attached to this
publication because it is without doubt
‘the way to go’ possibly the most
interesting question in relation to
‘New Technology’ is when will all bird
keepers have both the interest to
grasp this type of publication and when
will they have the hardware to access
this form of offering? Bird keepers
already have a hobby and a very
rewarding one it is; they do not need
computers and all that goes with their
purchase, installation and
maintenance. Currently they can
obtain everything they need via bird
related paper magazines but eventually
that will change and when electronic
magazines become accepted by the
majority clubs will have to take the
hard decision as to whether to
continue with the paper magazine. But
may I say that at present The Parrot
Society have no plans to go down that
road.
4 BIRD SCENE

ION
theparrotsocietyuk.org
BY THE
EDITOR
LES RANCE
Regular readers will know that Bird
Scene has been produced to publicise
The National Exhibition held each year
at our October Sale Day/Show and to
promote our Conservation efforts for
threatened parrots in the wild.
Previous editions are still to be found
in an archive at the foot of the Home
Page of our website and if you would
like to see earlier versions then do
please visit the Bird scene archive.
I do hope you enjoy reading this issue
of Bird Scene as much as I have
putting it together.
BIRD SCENE 5

BREEDING THE
MYNAH OR STA
(TEMENUCHUS PAGODARUM)
This was a new pairing for me put
together in an aviary shared with
a pair of Grey Backed Thrushes. There
were no problems until I noticed the
Mynahs taking live food into the nest box
– they had earlier laid two clear eggs and
I thought this was probably the end of
their breeding attempt for the year.
It was now apparent that they had
young, but it was only after ten days
that any calls for food were heard. With
two pairs of adult birds competing
for food it was obvious to me that the
Thrushes had to be removed before any
real trouble occurred. After they were
moved everything seemed to calm down.
I continued to feed mixed mealworms
06 BIRD SCENE

FEATURE
PAGODA
RLING
ARTICLE BY: RAY HOLLAND
DONATE TO OUR
CONSERVATION
FUND…
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BIRD SCENE 07

After about three to four
weeks the young began
to fledge. This was a
very exciting time for
me – they were really
beautiful birds.
and some wax worms at least three
times a day and twice a day I gave a
ration of small and/or medium crickets.
Something which should be mentioned
now is that both the cock and the hen
fed the young, usually entering the next
box at separate times. Rarely was the
cock seen to feed the hen at the nest
box entrance for her to then feed the
chicks.
After about three to four weeks the
young began to fledge. This was a very
exciting time for me – they were really
beautiful birds. At this stage I had no
idea how many chicks were in the box
as I had tried not to interfere too much.
The first chick left the nest followed by
the second three to four days later and
the third and final chick fledged after
a further two more days. I thought to
myself that this was great, the parents
are doing a fine job looking after their
family and all I had to do was to carry
on feeding and all would be well. Is
anything that simple and predictable in
bird breeding?
Shortly after the last chick fledged, as
little as an hour or so, the cock bird set
about the hen and I found them on the
aviary floor with the back of the hen’s
08
BIRD SCENE

FEATURE
head badly pecked. Unfortunately she
did not survive this attack – I could
not believe what had just happened. I
kept asking myself WHY? Looking back
over the previous weeks when they
had been rearing their young (perhaps
even before) there always seemed to be
competition between them for the live
food. This competition was heightened
when they had young in the nest box.
There were at least four feeding stations
and they could always go and pick
up crickets off the floor. I still cannot
understand this behaviour – has anyone
else experienced this?
The cock bird has proven himself to be
an exemplary father and brought up all
three chicks by himself.
I thought that I might have to hand
rear the chicks but the pleading for food
by the chicks worked wonders and he
got on with it. All the chicks and their
father are now sharing a flight and there
seems to be no noticeable bickering –
though he will force them off the roof
of the nest box when they have the
audacity to perch on it.
I decided that as the cock had proved
that he was willing to raise youngsters
on his own he was worth pairing to
a new hen. This, however, proved to
be a mistake because he attacked his
new wife. I can only assume that in his
desire to reproduce he did not consider
the hen which was obviously not in
condition when he made his advances.
I decided that as the
cock had proved that
he was willing to raise
youngsters on his own
he was worth pairing to
a new hen.
BIRD SCENE 09

FEATURE
I use are fairly deep and when I looked
to see how the baby was progressing
I was surprised to see that the parents
had been very busy almost filling the
box with pine needles gathered from the
floor of their flight…
He attacked her on the head just like
his original wife and even a year and a
half after this attack, which fortunately
did not prove fatal you can still see the
point of attack as the feathers have not
fully re-grown. He found a new owner
who was prepared to give him another
chance even though I fully explained his
violent shortcomings.
As soon as the hen recovered I supplied
her with a new less aggressive cock and
during the 2013 season produced three
young in the first round, one of these
youngsters was picked on by the father
and when they were sexed by DNA they
were two hens and one cock so I guess
it was the young cock that was being
picked on by the father. Not content
with three young they then went on to
breed again and in this second round
produced one youngster. The nest boxes
I use are fairly deep and when I looked
to see how the baby was progressing I
was surprised to see that the parents
had been very busy almost filling the
box with pine needles gathered from
the floor of their flight, there were
about 8 inches of these on top of the
fledging baby, I thought all was lost but
as I started to remove handfuls of the
needles I felt movement in the bottom of
the box which greatly surprised me the
baby was still alive! This has also been
reared to maturity and proved to be a
hen. So for 2013 the results were three
hens and one cock. Results that I am
very proud of because 2013 is not going
to go down as the best breeding season
UK breeders has experienced!! Roll on
2014.
10
BIRD SCENE

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THE NATIONAL
12 BIRD SCENE

FEATURE
2013 REPORT
BIRD SCENE 13

LIZARD CANARY SECTION
The LCA was very
pleased to have a good
turnout of Lizard with
101 benched. With
exhibitors coming from
Guernsey in the south
and Fife in Scotland from
the North.
The LCA was very
pleased to have a good
turnout of Lizard with 101
benched. With exhibitors
coming from Guernsey
in the south and Fife in
Scotland from the North.
Judge for the Lizard
section was LCA panel
Judge Chris Jordan. Who
selected Stan Bolton’s Non
Cap silver hen as Best
Lizard this bird had
Very nice spangles. It also
won best silver. Best Gold
went to Keith Johnson with
a Non cap gold cock. Keith
won 2 other classes.
Seemed a day for the Non
caps. The biggest class was
won by Andy Williamson
with a Broken cap gold
cock. The novice section
saw slightly more birds than
the champion section, this
section was dominated by
the excellent team from
Steve Martin who took
best novice silver and gold
and best novice. The best
novice was a Clear cap
Silver hen which displayed
good spangles and had good
breast work.
We would also like to
thank Ray Smith for
stewarding for Chris Jordan.
14 BIRD SCENE

FEATURE
BLUE LIZARD CANARY SECTION
Judge for the day was
BLCC chairman Andy
Williamson who was
very pleased to se such a
good number of quality
blue lizards.
Once again the BLCC
was pleased to hold one
of there zone shows at the
National. With an entry of 38
which is an increase of 10
on last year which goes to
show the gaining popularity
of the Blue lizard. Judge for
the day was BLCC chairman
Andy Williamson who was
very pleased to se such a
good number of quality blue
lizards. Best blue lizard went
to Mr “lizard” Stan Bolton
with a Broken Cap blue hen,
winning the Kevin Skinner
presidents Trophy. This bird
had outstanding spangles and
good amount of breastwork
and lovely dark legs.
This bird took best broken
cap blue lizard. Best novice
Lizard went to first time
shower Les Evans with a very
nice Broken cap Blue cock les
also won second best Novice
as well, well done Les. Other
prince able winner were best
Clear cap Blue DTA lizard stud
AKA David Allen with a clear
cap Blue cock. Best Non cap
went to Stan Bolton with a
non cap blue cock. Best overyear
went to Kevin Skinner with
a nice over-year hen.
Thank you to the two stewards
Steve and Mandy Martin.
BIRD SCENE 15

FIFE FANCY CANARY SHOW
The Champion specials were
keenly contested with two birds
from Clark and Gillott in hot
contention as the judges were
evenly split over their clear buff
hen and their variegated yellow
cock.
The Fife Fancy Canary section at the
Parrot Society National Exhibition
2013 attracted an entry of 576 exhibits
this year which is excellent considering
the reports of a poor breeding season
across the country.
Best Fife in show went to Mr T
Campbell’s variegated yellow cock
which led a class of twelve exhibits
before going on to take the Best Novice
award and the Best Fife award. This bird
displayed a steady posture and showed
good type and feather quality throughout
the judging.
This exhibitor from over the border
swept the board with the Novice specials
taking Best Novice Variegated, Best
Novice Heavily Variegated, Best Novice
Self Green, and Best Novice White
Ground with a variegated white hen. A
splendid team , well presented, which
did their owner proud.
Best Novice Clear was a clear buff
cock belonging to Mr C Twigg and Best
Novice Cinnamon went to Mr Jack Clogg.
The Champion specials were keenly
contested with two birds from Clark
and Gillott in hot contention as the
judges were evenly split over their clear
buff hen and their variegated yellow
cock. The birds were put to one side for
further deliberation after judging the
16 BIRD SCENE

FEATURE
Best Champion Heavily variegated went to
Tony Carline’s green yellow cock, Ashton &
Goodwin won the Best Champion Self Green
award with a little green yellow hen and
Alan Wilson collected the Best Champion
Cinnamon Award
Miss T M Carthy’s help with the stewarding
was well rewarded as she was awarded
the Best Juvenile and Best Juvenile Stam
specials. Thanks are due to the judges, Bert
Stillie, Tom Green, Barrie Durant and Dave
Tanner for placing the awards.
novice section with the clear buff hen
taking the Best Champion award in the
final stages. Clark and Gilllott completed
their show with the Best Champion
White Ground, a clear white hen.
Best Champion Heavily variegated
went to Tony Carline’s green yellow
cock, Ashton & Goodwin won the Best
Champion Self Green award with a
little green yellow hen and Alan Wilson
collected the Best Champion Cinnamon
Award.
For the second year at the National
Exhibition classes for Stams (teams of
three birds) were on offer and five stams
tested the judges eye for harmony within
the groupings. A Rodger’s self green buff
Fife stam came out the overall winner
and congratulations are extended.
Miss T M Carthy’s help with the
stewarding was well rewarded as she
was awarded the Best Juvenile and Best
Juvenile Stam specials.
Thanks are due to the judges, Bert
Stillie, Tom Green, Barrie Durant and
Dave Tanner for placing the awards.
Thanks are also due to the stewards for
the smooth running of the show and for
erecting and dismantling the staging.
The Fife Fancy Federation is extremely
grateful to the Parrot Society for
organising such an event.
BIRD SCENE 17

GLOSTER FANCY SPECIALIST SOCIE
This year’s GFSS All Gloster was an
outstanding success with a record entry
of 612 Glosters, but far more importantly
514 birds were on view, on the day, with
record numbers in many classes.
The judges Graham Beech and Paul
Brown had a very busy day picking the
winners and are to be commended not
only for doing such an outstanding job
but managing to complete the task on
time, especially with so many quality
birds on display. Once again we had
top fanciers from all over the country
competing for the top prizes, which
included cash prizes and wine glasses
and whisky tumblers depicting a Gloster
Corona.
Best in Show was won, once again,
by the father and son partnership of R
& I Wright who, this year won with an
unflighted Buff Consort hen, this bird
also won Best Champion, Best Champion
Consort, and Best Buff. Robbie and Ian
also won Best Cinnamon with a Corona.
Best Opposite Head was won by Burton
and Reay with an unflighted Buff Corona
Hen. The other main awards in the
Champion section were Best 3PD to
Cottrell and Rands with an unflighted
Corona Hen; Best Yellow to P.Kavanagh
with a Consort Hen and Best White to
M.Miles with an unflighted Corona Cock.
There were a number of Novices
showing here for the first time, among
18 BIRD SCENE

FEATURE
Congratulations to all our
winners and everyone
who had birds on show
the quality really was
extremely high.
TY
them John Cressey who took Best Novice
with an unflighted Buff Corona Hen,
this bird also won Best Novice Corona
and Best Novice Buff. Best Novice 3PD
went to I.Gooderham with an unflighted
Consort Hen; Best Novice Yellow and
Best Novice Cinnamon were both won
by R and C Lootes and their son, Michael
Lootes took Best Junior with a flighted
Consort. Best Novice White was won by
P.Cooper with a Fawn Consort Hen.
Congratulations to all our winners and
everyone who had birds on show the
quality really was extremely high.
Once again our GFSS secretary, Steve
Jones had worked very hard to obtain
over £200 – 00 in sponsorship and
our thanks go to Janis and Graham
Hollinshead from the Red Lion Farm in
Haughton for again donating £100 for
the Best in Show award. Many thanks
also to our other sponsors DM Builders,
TJ’s Ground, Block Paving and Patio
specialists and Dixon Fencing for again
supporting our show with cash prizes.
Naturally the larger the entry
the more work there is but thanks to
our Stewards , Judges , Show manager
Brian Tarrant and committee members
everything fell into place. Many thanks
to all those who attended, we look
forward to seeing you all again next
year!
BIRD SCENE 19

IRISH FANCY CANARY
The overall
Standard of the
entries was high.
On behalf of
the Irish Fancy
International I
would like to thank
the officials and
The Parrot Society
for their continued
support, staging our
National.
The recent National Exhibition which
was held at Stafford County Show
Ground, on October 13th, was well
supported by The Irish Fancy National,
176 Irish Fancy Canaries were benched,
Those were judged by Gerry Brown
From Derry Northern Ireland, Gerry
Award For Best Champion Un/Fltd, and
best Irish Fancy in Show to a neat Buff
Cock owned by M. O’Connor, who also
took the award for best FLTD, with a
clear buff hen. Trevor Young took the
best Novice Award with a Clear buff hen,
Best Novice FLTD, went to a Cinnamon
Self Buff Hen owned by Darren
Hadley, pleased to say there were 25
birds competing for the best Ladies
award, That award went to a delightful
Fawn Variegated FLTD Cock shown to
perfection by Miss Caroline Bird. The
overall Standard of the entries was high.
On behalf of the Irish Fancy International
I would like to thank the officials and
The Parrot Society for their continued
support, staging our National.
20 BIRD SCENE

FEATURE
IBBA SHOW SPECIALS LIST
Class Number, Cage Number, Exhibitor
• Best Border in Show 46 10 M Barnett
• Best Champion 46 10 M Barnett
• 2nd Best Champion 52 5 M Barnett
• 3rd Best Champion 44 5 A McGreechin
• 4th Best Champion 49 2 M Barnett
• 5th Best Champion 47 4 M Barnett
• 6th Best Champion 12 3 M Barnett
• 7th Best Champion 18 2 A McGreechin
• Best Champion Clear or Ticked 41 4
A & L Smith
• Best Champion Green Variegated 46
10 M Barnett
• Best Champion Cinnamon 30 1 PK
Whitehead
• Best Champion Green 18 2 A
McGreechin
• Best Champion Green 3/4 Dark 52 5 M
Barnett
• Best Champion Cinnamon 3/4 Dark 26
3 Daniels & Speight
• Best Champion White or Allied 35 2 A
& L Smith
• Best Champion Heavily Variegated 49
2 M Barnett
• Best Champion Cinnamon Variegated
24 1 A McGreechin
• Best Opposite Sex Clear or Ticked 2 1
M Barnett
• Best Opposite Sex Variegated 45 11 A
McGreechin
• Best Opposite Sex Cinnamon 29 1
Anderson & McTaggert
• Best Opposite Sex Green 17 1 C Egner
• Best Opposite Sex Green 3/4 Dark 51 3
A & L Smith
• Best Opposite Sex Cinnamon 3/4 Dark
25 2 Anderson & McTaggert
• Best Opposite Sex White or Allied - - -
• Best Opposite Sex Heavily Variegated
12 3 M Barnett
• Best Opposite Sex Cinnamon
Variegated 21 1 PK Whitehead
Best Novice 103 1 G Holt
• 2nd Best Novice 104 4 M Slater
• 3rd Best Novice 102 2 M Slater
• 4th Best novice 105 2 A O’Mahoney
• 5th Best Novice 112 2 A O’Mahoney
• 6th Best Novice 101 2 A O’Mahoney
• 7th Best Novice 108 1 M Ferris
• Best Novice Clear or Ticked 102 2 M
Slater
• Best Novice Green Variegated 103 1 G
Holt
• Best Novice Green 3/4 Dark 112 2 A
O’Mahoney
• Best Novice Cinnamon3/4 Dark - - -
• Best Novice White or Allied 94 1 M
Slater
• Best Novice Heavily Variegated 108 1
M Ferris
• Best Novice Cinnamon Variegated 82 1
A O’Mahoney
• Best Opposite Sex Clear or Ticked 101
2 A O’Mahoney
• Best Opposite Sex Variegated 104 4 M
Slater
• Best Opposite Sex Green 3/4 Dark 113
1 G Holt
BIRD SCENE 21

BRITISH, MULE & HYBRID CLUB
• Best Exhibit, Redpoll Mule, R Lawson
& E Wells
• Best Champion Mule or Hybrid
• Best Hardbill .... Greenfinch Cock
J. Lloyd.
• Best Champion Hardbill
• Best Novice Hardbill, Greenfinch
Cock, D. Bond
• Best Novice Mule or Hybrid,
Greenfinch X Crossbill, S.Bates
• Best Novice Softbill, Redstart Cock,
P. Devereux
• Best Softbill
• Best Unflighted Exhibit, Greenfinch
Hen, J. Lloyd
FOREIGN SOFTBILL SOCIETY
• Class 1: All sunbirds, hummingbirds,
dacnis, mannakins, sugarbirds,
tanagers, chlorphonias and euphonias.
1st: Peter Moore’s Collared Sunbird
• Class 2: All yuhinas, bulbuls, minlas,
mesias, pekin robins and zosterops
1st: Karl Marshall’s Broad-ringed
zosterop pair
2nd: Rick Crook’s White eared bulbul
pair
• Class 3: All starlings, mynahs,
thrushes, ground thrushes and
laughing thrushes
1st: Paul Crowe’s Red-billed Starling
2nd: Cath Warren’s Spreo Starling
3rd: Paul Crowe’s Spreo starling
4th: Cath Warren’s Spreo Starling
• Class 4: All flycatchers, redstarts,
robins, robin chats, shamas and
magpie robins
1st: Peter Moore’s Siberian Ruby
Throat
2nd: Peter Moore’s Wattle eyed
flycatchers
• Class 5: No entries
• Class 6: All other foreign softbills
larger than a pekin robin
1st: Peter Moore’s African Oriole
Warblers
2nd: Karl Marshall’s Yellow-headed
Blackbirds
• Class 7: Junior class- no entries
• Class 8: Sales class (any species of
foreign softbill)
1st: Roy Baugley’s Chestnut backed
Thrushes
2nd: Roy Baugley’s White crested
laughing thrushes
3rd: Peter Moore’s Bronze sunbirds
4th: Peter Moore’s Collared sunbird
Major Winners:
• Best softbill in show: Paul Crowe’s Red
billed starling
• Reserve best in show: Karl Marshall’s
Broad-ringed Zosterops
• Best Current year bred award:
Cath Warren’s Spreo starling
22 BIRD SCENE

FEATURE

MICE,
ARTICLE BY: ROSEMARY LOW
24
BIRD SCENE

ROOFS AND
BIRD ROOM
CONSTRUCTION
FEATURE
DONATE TO OUR
CONSERVATION
FUND…
CLICK THE LINK BELOW:
http://www.theparrotsocietyuk.org/donations.php
Mice and rats are extremely
resourceful creatures. If there is
a way to get into our aviaries and bird
rooms, they will find it. This means that
waging war on rodents must commence
literally before the foundations of the
building are laid. In fact it should start
with the planning. If you decide to
build a wooden bird room or perhaps
convert a double garage which is partly
constructed from wood, it will be almost
impossible to exclude vermin. Gnawing
through wood is so easy for mice. Once
they enter it will be extremely difficult
to exclude them. If you must use timber,
take the following precautions:
1. Stand the building on a concrete
base.
2. Be aware that insulating the bird
room is asking for trouble. Of course
it helps to prevent heat loss but
it is better to spend a little more
on heating the room (if heat is
necessary) than living with mice
breeding in the cavities between
the two walls. I know because this
happened to me. After two micefree
years, the mice moved in. The
glasswool insulating material was
deemed perfect for mouse nestmaking.
The only solution was to
BIRD SCENE 25

rip out the inner wall, including the
roof lining, and leave the building
permanently without lining. The
mice moved out. But that was not
the end of the problem. They moved
into the other building which was
lined, and took up residence in the
roof. A nightmare scenario! The
patter of feet which I was hearing
daily were those of mice. There
was no alternative but to take the
roof off and construct an entirely
new one. That was four years ago
and my bird room is now mousefree.
One advantage was that with
the new roof I did away with the
skylight windows. Its inclusion had
been a mistake because it caused
condensation to drip from the roof to
the floor.
26 BIRD SCENE

FEATURE
3. If you have a wooden building, nail
tin plate or aluminium, inside and
out, to the height of 1ft (31cm). This
precaution will be useless if there
are any holes through which mice
can enter. Check the point where
electricity cables leave the building,
cover ventilator and extractor outlets
with small mesh and ensure that all
doors and windows are tight-fitting.
Also remember that if you have popholes
to allow your birds access to
outdoor flights, mice will enter if they
have access to the flights. Welded
mesh should be buried around the
perimeter of the flights to prevent
this.
For preference, don’t build a bird
room from wood. Brick is much
more expensive but if you can afford
it, brick or breeze blocks are ideal
materials. You might also consider
obtaining, second-hand, the kind
of prefabricated cabins which are
used on building sites, for example.
As long as there is no wood in their
construction!
Precautions
If you have outdoor aviaries and you feed
your birds in the flight part, mice will
be almost impossible to eliminate. You
might also attract rats. To protect food
and water from vermin, weather and the
droppings of wild birds (increasing the
likelihood of disease being transmitted),
it is essential to have an indoor section,
either an enclosed shelter or a cage
inside a building, where the birds are
fed. This increases the length of time
it will take mice to find a food supply,
although it is not guaranteed to keep
them out if wood is used to construct
shelter or building.
There are other precautions that you
can take to discourage mice from finding
your garden attractive. If you feed the
wild birds, clear up any uneaten food
before nightfall. If you keep rabbits
or other pets that have a dry food,
remove any dry food at night. Finally,
do not discourage your neighbour’s cat
from visiting your garden at nightfall.
Generally speaking, once a cat has
discovered it cannot reach the birds
BIRD SCENE 27

in your aviaries, it will lose interest in
them - but if there are mice about it will
return night after night. I would strongly
advise that when planning your aviaries,
buy enough welded mesh to double
wire all surfaces that are accessible to
cats and owls. It might seem like an
expensive exercise but this will prevent
deaths from injuries by night marauders.
Also, with the increase in
Sparrowhawks in gardens, it will prevent
these pests from attacking your birds.
Another tip is to grow climbers such as
passionflower, honeysuckle and clematis
over the top and sides of the flights.
Sparrowhawks are now so numerous,
even in city gardens, that every step
should be taken to prevent them diving
on the aviaries. Even if they cannot
reach the birds, the shock can cause
birds to desert eggs or young.
Eliminating mice
The trap is the most environmentally
friendly form of elimination. But does it
work? At the risk of displeasing mouse
trap manufacturers, I have to say that
I have never caught a single mouse in
the metal traps that catch mice alive.
I am told that wooden ones are more
successful. Obviously traps can be used
only in bird rooms where there are no
birds loose. They can be used in aviaries
only if they can be placed inside a box
and if no small birds are present which
could enter the box.
The traditional type of spring trap,
usually baited with cheese, can be
successful - assuming you are not
squeamish about removing victims. Note
also that mice absolutely love chocolate
and this can be the best bait of all. Be
warned that some very cheap wooden
28 BIRD SCENE

FEATURE
spring traps are almost impossible to
set. I once tried a plastic spring-trap
which was very easy to set. I soon found
it had a major disadvantage. The spring
was not strong enough. The mice would
be trapped but not killed. I found mice
trapped by the tail or the foot and being
too soft-hearted to see any animal suffer,
I would release these victims alive.
The newspapers often feature
advertisements for ultrasonic mouse
deterrents. I have not tried them since
I have been assured by two people
who have that they are not effective.
Members’ experiences on this method
would be welcome.
The obvious alternative to traps is
poison. I greatly dislike the use of
poison since it can get into the food
chain and because death is not swift.
Presumably it could also poison a cat if
a cat caught a mouse which had eaten
poison. I look on poison as a last resort.
However, to deal with rats and, in some
situations, with mice, there seems to
be no alternative. The mouse poison
which you can buy in a hardware store
is unlikely to be effective over the long
term, since mice will eventually become
immune to it. It is therefore advisable to
contact the vermin control department
of the local council. On one occasion
I saw a rat in my garden and a very
helpful man from the Council arrived
with some blocks of poison placed
inside small cardboard cartons. There
is no charge for this service. If you as
much as catch a glimpse of a rat, call
the council immediately. Do not leave
nest-boxes in position in outdoor aviaries
all year unless you close the entrance by
nailing wood over it. If a rat enters the
aviary and finds a bird roosting inside,
it will kill it and you are likely to find a
headless victim.
If you place mouse poison in your bird
room, don’t think all you have to do is
to put it in a suitable place and wait for
the mouse population to crash. Now your
work begins. On the first and succeeding
nights of poison use in a bird room,
sweep the floor, clean the cage trays,
etc, and remove every food container. If
they can feed on seed, they will not take
the poison. Mice are so resourceful that
they can learn to feed during the day but
offering them only poison at night will
usually solve the problem.
I greatly dislike the use of poison since it can get into the food chain and
because death is not swift. Presumably it could also poison a cat if a cat caught
a mouse which had eaten poison. I look on poison as a last resort. However,
to deal with rats and, in some situations, with mice, there seems to be no
alternative. The mouse poison which you can buy in a hardware store is
unlikely to be effective over the long term, since mice will eventually become
immune to it.
BIRD SCENE 29

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Parrots0412ShowGuide.indd 1 01/04/2012 15:18

Red-vented Bluebonnet
ONCE THEY’
WE’VE LOST
FOREVER

FEATURE
ARTICLE BY: ADAM MOGG
You might expect a dramatic title
such as ‘Once they’re gone we’ve
lost them forever’ to relate to a rare and
endangered species of Amazon Parrot,
with a limited island range, or one of
the Black Cockatoos, with a tiny gene
pool within European aviculture. But no,
on this occasion I refer to some of the
previously commonly bred species of
parakeet, which appear now to be rarely
appreciated or bred in any numbers.
This situation is being made worse by
mixed subspecies and even species
being paired together, in addition to
the proliferation of mutations, not in
addition to normal birds, but instead
of normal birds. All of this, during a
period when the numbers of individuals
actually keeping and breeding birds, has
decreased sharply.
Anyway, before I ramble on with my
own views, a little about my own bird
keeping experiences and how they relate
to my concerns. I’ve kept birds on and
off for 34 years, my father and both my
grandfathers kept birds, my first being a
pair of Budgies when I was aged 6. This
RE GONE
THEM
PART ONE
I’ve kept birds on and off for 34
years, my father and both my
grandfathers kept birds, my first
being a pair of Budgies when I was
aged 6. This developed through
my teens, until I had a mixed
show team, with everything from
Hummingbirds, Flowerpeckers and
Sunbirds, to Waxbills, Mannikins
and Whydahs.
developed through my teens, until I had
a mixed show team, with everything
from Hummingbirds, Flowerpeckers and
Sunbirds, to Waxbills, Mannikins and
Whydahs. In addition I bred numbers
of Australian Finches, mostly Gouldians,
and all parent reared. My collection,
and in reality other than the Australian
Finches, it was just that, a collection in
planted aviaries, developed to include
some Australian Parakeets.
Turquoisines, Bourkes, Elegants,
Redrumps, Manycoloured and Stanleys
were all kept and bred reasonably
well. A cherished pair of Swifts were
eventually received from a Belgian
breeder in exchange for 12 pairs of
Gouldians. This was 1983, these
being the first Swifts I had ever seen,
unfortunately they never laid an egg, let
alone reared a chick. As I reached my
mid teens, the attractions of nightclubs,
fashion, music, alcohol and above all
girls, led me to moving on from keeping
softbills and indeed showing birds,
though I still kept a number of small
seedeaters. Violet Eared Waxbills, Purple
BIRD SCENE 33

Eastern Rosella - Red mutation
Grenadiers, Peale’s Parrotfinches, Grey
Headed Olivebacks and my Australian
Parakeets. Although I kept all my
seedeaters in 12ft long planted flights,
with only 2 pairs per flight, and a good
quantity of livefood, I never reared a
single bird successfully, though chicks
were commonplace.
During this time my father, Martin
Mogg, filmed and produced a video on
keeping and breeding Australian Finches
and then a second video on Australian
Parakeets. I was lucky enough to
accompany him, as we visited a number
of parakeet breeders, primarily in the
north of England. It was here that I saw
my first Hooded, Brown’s, Tasmanians,
Cloncurries, Yellow Vented Bluebonnets
and Blue Winged Grass Parakeets, the
Hooded in particular breeding very
successfully. Although I had previously
seen some rather poor Pileated,
imported from Belgium, during one of
these filming visits I was lucky enough
to see two fantastic pairs of Pileated at
one breeder’s aviaries, both with large
broods of chicks just out of the nest.
What enthused me most, was that
here was a group of birds, Australian
Parakeets, that had not received any
extensive fresh blood for 20 years,
but was still breeding quality young.
Predominantly of what I considered the
true wild type, without being handreared
or fostered. My father was fortunate
enough to have two visits to Australia
during this time, both of three months in
duration. He managed to visit upwards
34
BIRD SCENE

FEATURE
of 20 parrotlike breeders in Australia,
where he filmed all of the Australian
Cockatoos, plus Orange Bellied and Rock
Grass Parakeets, Naraethae Bluebonnets,
Golden Shouldered, Blue Cheeked
Rosellas and the different subspecies
of Brown’s and Eastern Rosellas, even
the elusive Ground Parrot. The footage
he brought back seemed to indicate
that the Australian Parakeets in the UK,
were every bit as robust, large and well
coloured as the birds kept in Australian
aviculture and presumably the wild
population.
At 17 I left home in Yorkshire and
moved to the south coast to work,
having sold up all my birds and flights.
Two years later I joined the British
Army, and any plans to keep birds again
were on long term hold, or so I thought.
About 12 months into my first posting
to Northern Ireland, a mate of mine
found an escaped Zebra Finch. The fawn
cockbird soon took up residence in a
home made cage, next to my bedspace
in an eight man portacabin. I bought a
pied hen to join him and they were soon
on eggs. During my second posting,
in Wiltshire, I married my wife Jill and
moved into a married quarter. This
provided the opportunity to construct
a couple of small flights, one housing a
mixed group of Gloster Canaries and one
a stunning pair on Splendids. All bred
well, and when we were posted up to
Lancashire, a third flight followed. This
contained a mix of Masked Grassfinches,
Black Rumped Bichenos, Bandtailed
Seedeaters, Lavender Finches and
Angolan Bluebreasted Waxbills, nest
baskets overflowed with eggs but no
chicks were reared. Eventually the
seedeaters were replaced with a pair
of Stanley Rosellas, but disaster soon
struck. I had just entered the Stanley’s
flight to check on the six newly hatched
chicks, when my young daughter opened
the door behind me. The cockbird saw
his chance and was away. The hen did
her best to feed the chicks, but they
eventually died one by one.
An operational tour to Bosnia in 1995,
meant I had to sell the birds, with the
exception of the hen Stanley, which my
wife took care of particularly well. On
my return a posting to Kent soon
followed, the post was as an instructor,
providing some stability, so the hen
Stanley was paired up and then joined by
pairs of Manycoloured and Elegants. The
next posting came round all too soon,
and a move to Bedfordshire and
deployment to Kosovo meant disposing
of my parakeets. Our next post in
Dorset, was to a particularly hectic unit,
deployments to East Timor, Sierra Leone
and Afghanistan meant I saw plenty of
exotic birdlife but keeping birds was
simply out of the question. Throughout
this time I had maintained the dream
that I would one day settle down and be
I joined the British Army, and any
plans to keep birds again were on
long term hold, or so I thought.
About 12 months into my first
posting to Northern Ireland, a mate
of mine found an escaped Zebra
Finch. The fawn cockbird soon took
up residence in a home made cage,
next to my bedspace in an eight
man portacabin.
BIRD SCENE 35

Hooded Cock
able to establish a serious breeding
collection of Australian Parakeets. Many
a quiet hour during operations or
exercises was spent mapping out aviary
plans and I kept up my PS membership
throughout. In addition my father, now
living in Belfast, had an extensive
breeding collection of Lories and Lorikeets,
which I saw on annual visits. Sadly he
became seriously ill during 2004 and the
breeding successes suffered, when he
died in 2005 the birds, including the
best Red Stellas Lorikeets I’ve ever seen
were practically given away.
With 12 years served, house prices
rising rapidly and a daughter deserving a
stable school environment, I opted to
buy a house in North Yorkshire. My wife
and daughter settled in and were soon
joined by a second little girl. I was
serving down in Hampshire, living in the
Warrant Officer’s & Sergeant’s Mess
during the week and commuting home
at weekends. Immediately after an Iraq
tour, five, 12ft flights were soon
constructed and filled with Stanleys,
Manycoloured and Yellow Rosellas, my
wife and eldest helping to feed them
during the week. I’ve been lucky
enough to stay within the Army’s
training environment since 2004,
which has allowed me to build my
breeding stock. I’m now in my final
two years, in the stable but busy position
of a Regimental Sergeant Major. My
birds consisting of Pileated, 28s, Port
Lincolns, Cloncurries, POWs,
Tasmanians, Yellow Rosellas, GMRs,
Mealies, Brown’s, Stanleys, Many
Coloured, Turquoisines and Finschii
Slatey Headed, all being normal wild
coloured birds.
36
BIRD SCENE

FEATURE
So, how exactly do my experiences
relate to my concerns? Well, if you
excuse the pun, I have in effect been
parachuted back into bird keeping
after a gap of 20 years. What I now
see is a real dearth of quality normal
or wild coloured Australian Parakeets,
with some other formerly established
birds, like the stunning Cardinal Lories
and Stellas Lorikeets have seemingly
disappeared. I have found good quality
normal Grass Parakeets particularly hard
to find, most pairs being adulterated
with mutation blood and throwing
party coloured youngsters. I have just
had the same experience with Yellow
Fronted Kakarikis, having visited five
breeders to buy normal pure bred YF
Kakarikis, I finally found an unrelated
pair, not carrying Red Fronted blood,
yellow flecks, pied or lutino blood. Sadly,
I checked their nestbox earlier this year
to find the largest and eldest chick, was
pinning up with yellow feathers and had
clear red eyes, a lutino! I would hate to
think that all these amazing parrotlike
birds will not be able to be kept and
bred by my daughters, only a handful
of species in mutations resembling
different sized Budgies!
So a final plea, try and encourage
someone to take up birdkeeping each
year, they may well end up as the
recipients of all the young stock you
breed and hopefully sell each year.
Lastly, try and make space for a pair of
normal birds, especially the formally
commoner species, be it Lovebirds,
Grass Parakeets or Redrumps, you’ll
probably find they hold their price and
demand far longer than mutations in the
long term.
CURRENT STATUS OF THE
AUSTRALIAN PARAKEETS
IN UNITED KINGDOM
AVICULTURE
KING PARROT
(Alisterus Scapularis)
Once considered a real avicultural rarity,
the numbers of successful breeding
pairs has increased apace over the last
10 years. This has resulted in a surplus
of young birds and prices dropping
considerably, with some breeders
selling off successful adults pairs. It
is likely that if this trend continues,
fewer individuals will put down mature
breeding pairs, with availability reducing
and prices eventually turning a corner
and increasing again. Size and intensity
of red colouring does vary, though most
birds are of a good quality. A washed
out looking dilute mutation is being
increasingly bred, as are yellow pied
birds.
CRIMSON WINGED PARROT
(Aprosmictus Erythropterus)
Availability has remained pretty constant
over recent years, with young stock
normally being available. Prices asked
for young birds have however dropped
over recent years. The intensity of the
black mantle on the cock birds does
vary, possibly reflecting the birds distant
heritage, as the wild population also
shows this variation over it’s range.
Birds originating from New Guinea
having less back on the mantle and
an overall longer, leaner body shape,
characteristics which are even more
defined in the Timor Crimson Wing.
BIRD SCENE 37

Yellow pied birds are now being bred on
the continent.
BARRABAND PARAKEET
(Polytelis Swainsonii )
Popular and widely bred, with large
numbers of young being available each
year. Recently some breeders have sadly
disposed of adult pairs due to supply of
young outstripping demand. Quality is
generally high, though care should be
taken to obtain unrelated birds. Birds
displaying a degree of yellow flecking are
occasionally offered for sale.
ROCK PEBBLER PARAKEET
(Polytelis Anthopeplus)
Reasonably popular and widely bred,
with large numbers of young being
available each year. Again some
breeders have disposed of adult pairs
recently due to the supply of young
outstripping demand. The depth
of yellow colouration in cock birds
varies significantly, reflecting the
two geographically separated wild
populations. A washed out dilute
mutation and a lutino are now being
bred on the continent.
PRINCESS OF WALES’
PARAKEET
(Polytelis Alexandrae)
Not as readily available as it was only
10 years ago, good quality normal
birds being particularly hard to come
by, with demand outstripping supply.
Considerable variation is seen in the
intensity of the colouring on the cock’s
head and particularly the rump. Length
of tail, size of bird and even the overall
body shape do vary considerably,
however these are all seen in the bird’s
massive wild range. Blue, lutino and
albino mutations are well established,
yellow pied birds are also occasionally
seen.
TASMANIAN ROSELLA
(Platycercus Caledonicus)
Some very good quality birds now
available, with few if any showing the
adulteration caused by hybridisation
with Pennant’s or Yellow Rosellas,
which occasionally happened in the
past. A reasonable number of breeding
pairs are being kept, but as they take
some time to mature and tend to
have small clutches, demand usually
outstrips supply. Thankfully no one has
as yet been irresponsible enough to
attempt to introduce mutations through
hybridisation with other Rosellas, though
yellow pied Tasmanians are now bred on
the continent.
PENNANT’S ROSELLA
(Platycercus Elegans Elegans)
Very popular and widely bred, though
good quality normal birds are becoming
harder to find, many so called normals
being adulterated with mutation blood.
Birds showing characteristics of the
sub species Nigrescens are occasionally
seen, being slightly smaller and darker,
and with chicks appearing from the nest
being crimson with an almost bronzy
wash, rather than a haphazard mix of
olive green and dull red in the nominate
race. A wide variety of mutations are
now being bred, though the popularity of
each new mutation tends not to last long
with prices consequently plunging.
38
BIRD SCENE

FEATURE
Pennant’s Rosella
BIRD SCENE 39

ADELAIDE ROSELLA
(Platycercus Elegans Adelaidae)
Very few now being kept or bred in the
UK, Adelaides vary considerably in terms
of the orange base colour, some being a
beautiful tangerine colour, others being
a rusty red brown colour. Birds produced
by directly crossing a Pennant’s Rosella
with a Yellow Rosella are occasionally
seen, some being identical to Adelaides,
others having random splashes of
red and yellow feathering. Mutation
Adelaides are now appearing, often
being introduced through crosses with
Pennant’s Rosellas.
YELLOW ROSELLA
(Platycercus Elegans Flaveolus)
Never massively popular or widely bred,
possibly due to the drab colouration of
the youngsters, few youngsters are currently
offered for sale each year. Quality varies
considerably, as does the extent of
orange suffusion into the yellow of the
plumage. Most hens show at least some
orange colouration on the upper breast,
though birds which show signs of
hybridisation with either Adelaides or
Pennants’ in their past are now rarely
seen. Bizarrely a yellow pied mutation of
the Yellow Rosella is now being bred,
with it’s popularity impacting on the
number of pure bred normals available.
EASTERN ROSELLA
(Platycercus Eximius)
Almost always advertised as Golden
Mantled Rosellas in the UK, despite very
few actually being from this smaller and
more brightly coloured
sub species. Birds vary considerably in
size and colouration reflecting a mix
of the nominate race, the sub species
Cecilae or Golden Mantled and the sub
species Diemenensis or Tasmanian
Eastern. The Golden Mantled is a smaller
bird with yellow and black scalloping on
the back and mantle, a bright aqua or
mint blue/green rump and a dark blue
tail. In the nominate race the scalloping
is greenish yellow, the rump is apple
green and the tail green and blue. The
Tasmanian race combines the yellow
and black scalloping of the GMR with
the rump and tail colour of the Eastern,
in addition it shows even more clear
yellow on the nape than the GMR and
is considerably larger. A tiny number of
individuals are now breeding birds of
both the genuine GMR and Tasmanian
Eastern types, though many breeders
simply don’t really know what birds they
have. A wide mix of mutations are now
available, as each new colour appears
their popularity and price soars, as a
reliable breeding species the market is
then flooded and birds are very difficult
to dispose of.
Quality varies considerably, as does the extent of orange suffusion into the yellow
of the plumage. Most hens show at least some orange colouration on the upper
breast, though birds which show signs of hybridisation with either Adelaides
or Pennants’ in their past are now rarely seen. Bizarrely a yellow pied mutation
of the Yellow Rosella is now being bred, with it’s popularity impacting on the
number of pure bred normals available.
40
BIRD SCENE

FEATURE
MEALY ROSELLA
(Platycercus Adsiticus Palliceps)
Reasonably popular and widely bred,
the birds advertised as Mealy Rosellas
vary markedly in colouration, though it
has to be said that this is also true of the
wild population. Most birds now show
plumage characteristics, not only of the
Mealy Rosella
BIRD SCENE 41

pale grey breasted Pallicps but also of the
brighter and darker blue breasted sub
species’. Sadly Mealy x Eastern hybrids
are occasionally seen, as are Pennant’s x
Eastern hybrids, though young Mealies
with red flecking on the head should not
be discounted as this common marking
is also seen in the wild population. Both
yellow pied and fallow mutations have
now appeared.
BLUE CHEEKED ROSELLA
(Platycercus Adsiticus Adsiticus)
This is in fact the nominate type of Pale
Headed Rosella, being distinguished
from the Mealy by it’s smaller size,
slightly slimmer appearance and blue
cheek patches. The easiest way of
recognising pure Blue Cheeked however,
is the fact that they have a greenish
yellow rump and upper tail coverts,
not blue or grey as in other forms of
Mealy or Pale Headed. A high proportion
of birds advertised as Blue Cheeked
in the UK are in fact birds of mixed
ancestry and not true Blue Cheeked.
Pure birds are however available on the
Continent and a handful of breeders are
now keeping them in the UK, though
breeding successes have as yet not been
high.
BROWN’S ROSELLA
(Platycercus Venustus)
Always rare and in demand the
availability of Brown’s Rosella has
remained steady over recent years. Only
a tiny number of breeders concentrate
or succeed with them in the UK, many
being put off with the difficulty of
making up pairs or producing good
numbers of chicks, choosing to turn
42
BIRD SCENE

FEATURE
their attentions to the easier challenges
of mutation Pennants or handrearing
African Grey Parrots. A number of both
adult cocks and adult pairs seem to
change hands all too regularly, with
no breeding successes, some of these
birds being unwanted birds, useless for
breeding, from the Continent. Making
up unrelated, first year young pairs
from reliable breeders being the only
way ahead with this species. Most birds
in the UK show the basic plumage of
the nominate race, with the blue cheek
patches of the sub species Hilli. Birds
with a blue tone to the body as seen in
Hilli, are however rare. Hens will often
leave the nest with some red or yellow
feathering interspersed amongst the
black of the head, particularly just above
the beak, this usually reduces with
age and is again also seen in the wild
population.
Brown’s Rosella
STANLEY ROSELLA
(Platycercus Icterotis Icterotis)
Not as popular or commonly bred as
it once was, Stanley Rosellas are still
widely if thinly bred. The quality of birds
for sale is often patchy and care should
be taken to obtain the best unrelated
birds that you can. A tiny number
of Australian Parakeet breeders are
making attempts to re-establish through
selective breeding, the Red Backed sub
species Xanthogenys. These beautiful
birds have paler yellow cheeks than
the nominate birds, red extending fully
down the back to the rump, dark blue
tails and a bluey green base colour when
compared with the nominate Green
Backed birds. It may be that birds of the
true Red Backed sub species exist on the
BIRD SCENE 43

Port Lincoln
continent, certainly I am aware of claims
from Holland, Norway and Austria.
The grey coloured blue mutation was
incredibly popular and widely kept up
until recently, a new wave of mutations
has now appeared on the Continent.
PORT LINCOLN PARAKEET
(Barnardius Zonarius Zonarius)
Widely bred and relatively easy to obtain,
the Port Lincolns in the UK display much
of the variation found in their large
wild range. Those of what is widely
accepted as the purest form have no
red feathering above the beak, though
a small amount of red, particularly in
young birds can also be seen in the wild.
The green colouring of the back and
upper breast is variable and can have
a bluish wash, likewise the intensity of
the yellow on the belly is variable. Some
breeders have recently sold off breeding
pairs as a result of not being able to sell
on youngsters or to make room for more
valuable and consequently lucrative
breeding birds. A blue mutation is now
available.
28 PARAKEET
(Barnardius Zonarius
Semitorquatus)
Very hard to come by in the UK, though
very popular and widely bred on the
Continent, with only a tiny number of
breeders with normal, wild coloured
birds. Size varies considerably with
some being significantly larger than
even the bulkiest Port Lincoln, the
same can also be said of the head and
beak which can be incredibly robust in
some strains. This peculiarity can make
44
BIRD SCENE

FEATURE
Manycoloured
Parakeet
sexing by sight particularly difficult.
Birds are occasionally seen which
demonstrate previous hybridisation
with Port Lincolns, with some yellow or
yellowish feathering on the belly. The
blue mutation is now common on the
Continent, this is reflected in the UK,
with as many people attempting to
breed blues as attempting to breed
normals.
BARNARD’S PARAKEET
(Barnardius Zonarius Barnardius)
Kept and bred in reasonable numbers
in the UK, though far less so than only
5 or 6 years ago. Barnard’s are always
incredibly variable in their plumage,
particularly the depth of colouration on
the back, the orange belly band and head
markings. Occasionally a bird is seen
with a quantity of black in the head that
may indicate a previous crossing with a
Port Lincoln and Barnard x Port Lincoln
hybrids are unfortunately sometimes
offered for sale to the unknowing.
Blue, pied and fallow mutations have
all appeared, the popularity of the blue
mutation undoubtedly impacting on the
numbers of normal birds bred.
CLONCURRY PARAKEET
(Barnardius Zonarius
Macgillivrayi)
Once incredibly sought after, the
market was flooded during the 90s and
the price plummeted. Cloncurries are
now bred in steady numbers, though
not as commonly as they are on the
continent. Due to a tiny initial gene pool
in European aviculture, unrelated birds
should always be traced to make up
breeding pairs.
RED RUMPED PARAKEET
(Psephotus Haematonatus)
Very widely kept and bred in the UK,
the issue here being the scarcity of
normal birds. Only a tiny number of
pure normal Red Rumped Parakeets
now exist in this country, and many of
those advertised as such actually display
some opaline markings on the wing
coverts or are of a slightly washed out
colour when compared with true normal
birds. Amazingly and incredibly sadly
there are probably far more breeding
pairs of Hooded Parakeets in the UK
now than there are pairs of pure normal
Red Rumps. The establishment of a
nucleus of breeding normal Red Rumps
must surely be a worthwhile goal for
someone.
BIRD SCENE 45

MANY COLOURED PARAKEET
(Psephotus Varius)
Ever in demand, the supply of young
Many Coloured never seems enough,
particularly if sensibly priced. Reasonable
numbers are bred each year, yet the
number of established and successful
breeding pairs never seems to increase.
As with Brown’s Rosellas, some birds
seem to change hands regularly and
some owners must surely be guilty of
not giving their birds enough time to
settle and breed, before swapping them
for the next latest fad. Birds in the UK
do vary considerably both in colouration
and size, but this is also true of the wild
population. The base green colouration
on the cocks can have a turquoise blue
wash and hens can be a base brown or
closer to a dull green colour. The amount
of red on the abdomen and lower breast
is variable in both sexes, with some hens
having red scalloping right the way up
the chest. These characteristics have
been increased by selective breeding
on the Continent, where attractive high
red bellied birds are now available. In
my view this is one Australian Parakeet
Birds in the UK do vary
considerably both in colouration
and size, but this is also true of the
wild population. The base green
colouration on the cocks can have a
turquoise blue wash and hens can
be a base brown or closer to a dull
green colour. The amount of red on
the abdomen and lower breast is
variable in both sexes…
46
BIRD SCENE

FEATURE
where the quality of Continental birds
of both the normal and high red bellied
birds is generally better than those in
the UK.
HOODED PARAKEET
(Psephotus Dissimilis)
Having finally become widely available
in the late 90s, their popularity dipped
with fewer breeders keeping pairs of
these birds in recent years. However, a
corner seems to have been turned and 4
or 5 breeders are now having consistent
success. Some birds, particularly hens
are noticeably small, and every effort
must be made to make up pairs from
robust unrelated birds. A few young
birds are available annually in the UK,
though in mainland Europe they are
relatively easy to procure. A number of
birds have been bred on the continent
in recent years displaying abhorrent
plumage, a blue and something
resembling a fallow, though neither has
as yet become established.
GOLDEN SHOULDERED
PARAKEET
(Psephotus Chrystopterygius)
Having been considered an avicultural
rarity for many years, the Golden
Shouldered Parakeet is now being bred
on the Continent in good numbers,
using the same conditions as Hooded.
The size, colour and robustness of
birds is variable and breeders should
beware being offered cast offs by some
Continental breeders. A few breeders are
now keeping Golden Shouldered in the
UK, some breeding with good success,
though stock is very rarely offered for
sale.
RED VENTED BLUEBONNET
PARAKEET
(Northiella Haematogaster
Haematorrhous)
Though not as popular or commonly
bred as on the Continent, a reasonable
number are bred on a fairly consistent
basis each year, though these seem to
originate from only a handful of
successful breeders with prolific adult
pairs. Birds are by and large of a good
quality, though size and colouration does
vary. Prices have remained steady and
perhaps surprisingly low over recent
years, surplus adult cock birds always
seem to be available at the various sales
events. Any potential purchaser is however
advised to make up pairs of young
unrelated birds, rather than odd adult
birds. Selectively bred high red fronted
birds have been developed on the
Continent for some time, they are now
as widely kept as the normal birds, with
the price varying little between the two.
Continued Next Issue…
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BIRD SCENE 47

PALM NUTS - Natural food for Parrots
Palm nuts are the natural food of African Grey parrots. It
is actually the yellow flesh around the nut that is
important although larger parrots such as macaws can
crack the nut as well.
Palm nuts are good for all parrots particularly breeding
birds. As some birds tend to be fussy eaters it is best to
start with just 250g to try them out.
On arrival, put the palm nuts into a deep freeze. They
should be thawed overnight and washed before use.
Feed a pair of African Greys 4 nuts per day.
There is no better food
you could feed to your
parrots than what they
eat in the wild.
250g Palm Nuts (ssp00250) £6.99
1kg Palm Nuts (ssp00031) £14.99
5kg Palm Nuts (ssp00035) £59.99
25kg Palm Nuts (ssp00025) £250.00
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